Day: July 5, 2017

In our lives there will be many situations where we will feel wronged or want justice and although this is understandable, focusing on this won’t allow you to see other things that are much more important. So how can you let go of being right and refocus your attention on what really matters?

The first thing that needs to be brought to your attention in situations like these is the fact that each side thinks they are right. It’s all about perspective and seeing as people do things as a consequence of what they believe in they will think that they’re right in doing so. This doesn’t mean someone can’t tell if they’ve done something wrong or not, but the likelihood in those situations where a clash arises is based on the fact that two or more people think one side is in the right and the other isn’t.

This idea of one side versus the other being right is exactly why focus on being right ends up being a waste of time and energy. If the other side thought they were wrong, you wouldn’t feel wronged because the person or people would have already apologized instead of standing their ground in thinking they’re right. This cycle is endless and even though some people may say talking helps, this isn’t always the case.

Add to the situation the component of anger and frustration, and you have a mix of emotions that keeps growing every day more. The more you think about what has happened and not getting an apology or admission of guilt, the more you get upset at the entire situation. This is where your focus on being right totally messes with you.

It’s not about you being right or wrong that is the issue, it’s about you not being able to go beyond this situation without an apology or justice being served. It’s about thinking of all the ways you are right and how the other person should see it so clearly that you wonder how is it even possible that they don’t see it. Again, all throughout this process the only certain thing is your feelings of injustice at the entire scenario. This focus takes away from what you could be learning about what just happened and how you could learn something about yourself if only you stopped thinking so much about the other side (and how wrong they are).

If you find yourself in this situation the best thing to do is to remember that if an apology isn’t given it means the person or people don’t think they’ve done anything wrong. At this point the questions you should be asking are why are you so upset and what can you do to change how you feel about this without needing the other people involved to do something about it.

Since perspective is what the clash is all about, try to take a step back and look at what is really bothering you about this. Can you tell if there’s any judgement on your end or expectation that influences what you’re thinking and how you’re reacting? If so, isn’t your judgement and expectation just as influential to this whole thing as the other person’s or people’s judgement and expectation?

Try to see what it is you can takeaway from this experience instead of doing everything you can to try and convince someone else that they have to admit they’re wrong when they don’t think they are. Then look to what you can do to avoid these types of situations. Also, if these people have specific characteristics about them or a way of doing things that don’t resonate with you, remove them from your circle of friends and avoid having people like this in your life.

Do remember that overall in life each person is just trying to make it and maybe what they did wasn’t meant to affect anyone. They can’t help being who they are and doing things in the way they see things. We’re each limited in our view, seeing as we can only see so far; and this seeing is based on our life experiences and our thought processes, values and beliefs.

How do you refocus from being right or wanting justice to the bigger picture, to the meaning and lessons of a situation that arises where you feel wronged?

Weight in a sentence: The weight of responsibilities is often self-inflicted due to the care that one has for a person and/or situation.

Weight in action: When your chest feels heavy and your mind full of worry that is weight in one of its forms.

Weight and inner growth: When you take a minute to explore the weight you carry you find that a lot of the pressure comes from your desire to achieve, pursue, or give to a person or situation. Being able to talk yourself through the weight and look for ways to lift that pressure gives you the opportunity to pursue inner growth because you slowly break down barriers, expectations, and get comfortable in your skin and with your choices.

Weight and inner growth action steps:

In-depth self-exploration questions: How does weight that affects me emotionally play a role in my day to day? When was the first time I felt the weight of life? What are some of the things in life that bring the most weight to me? How do I lighten the weight that I feel within when something isn’t going the way I’d want it to go? What do I think about weight and the burdens that I carry?

List or word bubble: Make a list or word bubble with weight at the center and then list or put around it all the other words that come to mind associated with it. From this list pick one word that represents a weight you were able to lift from burdening you in time. Write about this experience by using the other words in your list.

Bring your awareness to your feelings about weight and as you do this imagine a feather floating above you. Wherever you feel the weight feeling settling allow the feather to swoop in and distribute that energy, lighten it up. When you’re ready allow thoughts to come in and notice what event or situation stands out the most from the things that cross your mind. Focus on that event, thought or situation and see what your emotions tell you about it.

Your turn – Share your weight sentence, life examples, and inner growth action steps; and let me know if you’d like to see something added to our Inner Growth Word of The Day explorations 🙂

Exploring how to get outside of your head; understanding that being inside your head is a positive when you lift the weight; how removing self criticism for thinking allows you to learn & uncover more.

Exploring how to overcome confusion; looking at what brings about confusion & what can help you move away from confusion, while learning more about yourself & staying open to what comes your way daily.

Exploring defensiveness; its role in resistance, in how we see things & interact with others; & how letting your guard down helps release resistance, gain awareness of your role, & pursue inner growth.

Exploring how making assumptions affect your inner growth, your ability to learn from others & be open to life lessons; & a look at how to put assumptions aside to be able and see beyond in the moment.

Exploring social validation & image to understand how to release doubt of self-image & express your authentic self; how the online world holds its facades; & how network doesn't mean you're less or more.

Exploring the importance of mindset to how your life is, & the level of harmony & joys you experience; how to use awareness of your mindset & belief to lead transformation; & some ways you can do this.

Exploring how you can learn from the transformations, changes, & transitions that take place in life; being able to identify things that have transformed in you; & seeing how trust in your heart helps.